Ganoes Paran is now Captain, and we see how his mission has affected him because he’s pretty much a wreck – he’s questioning what he’s doing and even in front of the Claw, Topper, he’s wearing his feelings on his shirt sleeves, which might not be the best idea. Even though he’s taking everything in his stride, there’s a sense of uncertainty that surrounds him; from riding a Quorl to his memory of Whiskeyjack and his ruminations about the Empire and the Empress, Paran seems to be walking a fine line between conscience and duty.

Again, there’s another great section that’s full of uncertainty
– with the Mages, we see Tattersail trying to convince Bellurdan of the betrayal , but he’s having none of it.
– with the Bridgeburners, we see them trying to convince WhiskeyJack that the Empress wants them dead, but he’s not so sure or is unwilling to believe it, and he’s still not totally certain about what’s happening with Sorry.

If I had any doubt that Tattersail is more powerful that even she seems to know, it was thwarted with the next reading from the Deck of Dragons for Tayschrenn. I’m really intrigued about these cards and readings and wonder if they’ll play a major part as the story goes on. Also, it was interesting that there was the presence of an ‘Ascendant’ – we didn’t get that last time, unless I missed it. Lots of the the information that Tattersail was sharing from the Deck mirrored the plot, and I thought that was a brilliant way of tying things together without it being contrived. We also got insight into Tayschrenn’s power and his allegiance, and that led to a decision from Tattersail, which I think will prove significant.

‘Deliver, in person, this message to Sergeant WhiskeyJack, Bridgeburners. The fat lady with the spells wants to talk.’

– Tattersail to a young soldier

I was completely shocked at the ending of this chapter – I mean, I understand why Paran got stabbed – I just wasn’t expecting it happen – I knew that it was going to at some point, and I’m really interested in seeing how this goes. He hears the spinning coin after all. And if Tattersail’s reading is anywhere near accurate, which so far it is, I wouldn’t imagine that Oponn would let Ammanas and Cotillion get away with killing Paran, regardless of who they used to do it.

Other things of note:

• Toc the Younger seems like he’s one to watch – he doesn’t seem to be the same type of Claw that we’ve seen so far – well, the only Claw we’ve seen so far, which is Topper. It’s interesting how much he knows and that he’s from the 2nd, like Tattersail.

There’s so much crammed into this chapter it’s totally and utterly bonkers. Alliances are being forged and characters are developing amazingly because of that – Erikson’s ability to make characters feel ‘real’ so quickly is refreshing – I don’t know if it’s just because as a reader I’ve been thrown into the deep-end with them and so I’m more aware of their personalities, but there are only a handful of fantasy books that I’ve read where characters have been so deeply developed in such a short space of time that they feel like old friends – they feel familiar, but they are unique – they share their insights and thoughts in conversation with each other, and obviously these scenarios involve something I’ve seen called “expo-dumps” but at the same time, they’re not expo-dumps because it’s dialogue. Colour me confused, because I’ve seen readers of Malazan and other fantasy works say they dislike these sort of things – personally, I love being fed the little tidbits that leave you asking questions and watching for the answers. Maybe it’s just me.

I didn’t think that Oponn would get involved in the “death” of Paran that directly, but again, I loved that it gave us more insight into not only the Oponn twins, and especially Shadowthrone and his Hounds. Paran was very clever in his manipulation of the ‘god’ but I was left confused as to why he felt so hostile to the dogs – maybe it was because he realised that they were behind the massacre at Itko Kan.

The Deck of Dragons. Considering that Tattersail had avoided the Deck for a while prior to the Seige of Pale, she’s suddenly drawn to it – a lot – that in itself is intriguing, and this particular reading feeels like it’s significant. The ‘reading‘ she does in this chapter is exceptional: on the reader’s part it leaves a lot of things to look forward to, but for Tattersail herself, it’s overwhelming and kind of scary, especially with everything that’s happened so far. And it’s only chapter four!!!!

…She had chosen a spiral pattern, working her way through the entire Deck of Dragons and arriving with a final card, which could mark either an apex or an epiphany depending on how it placed itself…

Again, it feels like the cards themselves are alive. I love the imagery that Erikson uses; it just amplifies the intrigue.

The Knight’s sword reached a black, smoky streak towards the Hound at the spiral’s apex, and in this instance she knew its meaning. The future held a clash between the Knght and High House Shadow…It was rare to s ee such a clear and direct link between two Houses: the potential for devastation left her cold with worry. Blood spilled on such a high level of power cast aftershocks down through the world.

What she’s seeing here has extreme after effects and what she sees next is even more relevant to the next occurences. This element of foresight through the prose (and poetry) is one I’m absolutely loving. It just totally ramps up the tension, and keeps me on the edge of my seat.

The image sank once again into its viscid pool, but it left her changed. There would be no running away this time. Her eyes returned one last time to the Hound. The beast’s eyes seemed to burn with yellow fire, boring into her as if seeking to brand her soul.

• Fiddler from the Bridgeburners seems to have some kind of foresight? He was spot on about the incident with the Hound happening, not the details mind, just the occurence.
• I’m very interested in seeing what happens with the Black Moranth and the Quorl
• The uncertainty regarding Sorry is rising, and her actions are even freaking out WhiskeyJack
• Tattersail is more powerful that anyone believes
• Hairlock is a nutter
• How did Paran manage to injure the Hound with his sword?
• Tattersail still hears the spinning coin